Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
A review of Stieg Larsson's novel 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.'
 |
| 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson |
- Book Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Book 1 of the Millennium series)
- Author: Stieg Larsson
- Language: Translated to English from Swedish (by Reg Keeland)
- Genre(s): Crime, Thriller, Murder Mystery, Fiction
- Year of Release: 2005 in Swedish and 2008 in English
- Format that I read the book in: Paperback
- Publisher: Maclehose Press - An imprint of Quercus
- Book length: 538 pages
Blurb
millennium
The Industrialist
Henrik Vanger, head of the dynastic Vanger Corporation, is tormented by the loss of a child decades earlier and convinced that a member of his family has committed murder.
The Journalist
Mikael Blomkvist delves deep into the Vangers' past to uncover the truth behind the unsolved mystery. But someone else wants the past to remain a secret and will go to any lengths to keep it that way.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Lisbeth Salander, the enigmatic, delinquent and dangerous security specialist, assists in the investigation. A genius computer hacker, she tolerates no restrictions placed upon her by individuals, society or the law.
Key characters:
- Mikael Blomkvist: Investigative financial journalist, author, and part-owner of the Millennium magazine, aged 43. (Lead character)
- Lisbeth Salander: Security specialist and unethical computer hacker, working freelance for Milton Security, aged 24. (Titular lead character)
- Henrik Vanger: Patriarch of the Vanger Corporation, aged 82.
- Harriet Vanger: Grand-niece of Henrik Vanger and apparent heir to the Vanger Corporation who disappeared out of the blue in 1966 when she was 16 y/o, never to be found.
- Hans-Erik Wennerstrom: Industrialist and founder of the Wennerstrom Group.
Setting:
The plot is set partly in Stockholm and primarily in Hedestad, circa early twenty-first century.What is the story about? (WITHOUT SPOILERS)
Mikael Blomkvist is declared guilty of libel against industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerstrom. Thus he is charged a hefty fine for defamation and given a three month gaol sentence by the court. The court verdict destroys the credibility of his magazine Millennium in the world of media and finance. While he thinks of going on a sabbatical, he is approached by Henrik Vanger of Vanger Corporation to work on an assignment. The job entails digging up the past to find out who among the Vanger family murdered Henrik's beloved grand-niece Harriet, whose sudden and inexplicable disappearance almost forty years ago had shaken him beyond measure. Henrik offers to give Blomkvist solid proof against Wennerstrom if he manages to discover Harriet's killer.
Although initially reluctant, Blomkvist finally takes up this assignment much against his magazine co-owner and Editor-in-Chief Erika Berger's wishes, and temporarily shifts base from Stockholm to Hedestad, home to the Vanger Corporation and several odd members of the Vanger family. These members include Henrik, Martin Vanger (the current C.E.O of Vanger Corporation and Harriet's elder brother), Harald Vanger (Henrik's elder brother), Cecilia Vanger (Harald's daughter), Birger Vanger (Harald's son), and Isabella Vanger (mother of Martin and Harriet) among others.
In Hedestad, Blomkvist works under the guise of writing Henrik Vanger's biography while hiding his true objectives from the locals. He also believes that he has set off on a wild goose chase and it would be utterly impossible to solve the mystery. But soon he starts to come across facts and evidence which could help him to uncover the Vangers' dark familial history. Halfway through his sleuthing he is joined by security specialist Lisbeth Salander and together they make a fantastic headway in the otherwise stuck-up investigation. We also have Lisbeth's storyline progressing in parallel along with Mikael's upto the point where they meet up to collaborate.
REVIEW
My take on the book:
I have begun to truly enjoy Swedish crime fiction every since I started reading author Camilla Lackberg's novels. 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' is also a crime fiction novel by another Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. The book is the first of the three-part Millennium series. Stieg Larsson was a journalist who sadly died at a young age and didn't live on to see the huge sensation that his trilogy would go on to become.
I picked up this book because not only was it a famous bestseller but also its title intrigued me very much. It has a gripping plot that hooked me right from page one. The book has two prime characters - the journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the security specialist Lisbeth Salander - we have two storylines progressing till almost the middle of the book when they finally start merging.
While 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' gives closure to the main mystery of the book, we know that there is a lot more to Lisbeth's story in the next two books because not everything has been explained about her in this one. I liked this unconventional heroine created by the author. She is an independent young woman who likes to live her life on her own terms and does not abide by legal and societal restrictions imposed on her.
Lisbeth, the talented researcher and brilliant computer hacker, is the whimsical titular protagonist who functions from the brain and not the heart. Her abnormal family background and harsh life experiences can be said to have made her what she is. But it can be seen that she is just as vulnerable as she is strong. She even starts showing hints of emotions as her character develops. I initially thought her to be a weirdo, but as the layers of her true nature unfolded I even sympathised with her and found her to be quite endearing.
Mikael Blomkvist is yet another well-designed and lovable lead character. He is a morally upright journalist who always fights for the truth. He handles most situations with a calm mind. He is also a thorough realist. Despite being a charming man who is popular among the ladies, we can observe that he is respectful towards women. He plays an important role in the story and probably has as many pages dedicated to his storyline as that of Lisbeth's if not more.
The book has been divided into four parts - each of which when it opens it highlights statistics of physical abuse against women in Sweden. In facts, the central theme of the novel is sexual assault and how casually such disgusting acts have been taken by the society over the years gone by. The author has tried to relay a significant message that is rather crucial in the current #MeToo era. The best thing about the book is that it incorporates factual information into the fictional plot with great ease, without ever trying to be preachy. But let me warn you, it is dark.
The supporting characters have also been sketched out well. None of them can be termed insignificant. There are innumerable Vanger family members and I had a tough time in the beginning trying to remember who is who. That is why I was grateful for the family tree drawn after the Prologue as I kept referring to it time and again to clear my doubts.
I also loved the place where the plot is majorly set in - the idyllic Hedeby Island or Hedestad. The snowy location serves as the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery - literally sends chills down the reader's spine. It is both cosy and creepy at the same time.
There is a plot twist even after the mystery is solved and it is exciting to read further to know what happens in the end. It is superb.
Lastly not to forget, I want to give a shout-out to Reg Keeland, the English translator of this book - because without him the amazing story could not have reached English-speaking masses worldwide. It is difficult to retain the essence of the original language in the translated version, but Keeland has done an admirable job. Kudos to him!
Will I read it again?
Most probably I would because I enjoyed every bit of it. I am also looking forward to buying and reading the sequels from the trilogy as they apparently give more insight into Lisbeth Salander's story.
Reasons to read this book:
1. If you enjoy crime fiction.
2. Strong lead as well as supporting characters.
3. Gripping plot with rarely a dull moment.
4. Increasingly relevant in the times of #MeToo.
5. Tries to create awareness without being preachy.
Reasons to not read this book:
1. The story is a bit dark.
2. Conclusion (of the Vanger mystery, not the book) may not satisfy some.
3. Too many characters.
4. First two parts of the novel move with a comparatively slower pace and the content in them seems repetitive at times (But this isn't too much of a bother, honestly.)
5. Can't be read as a standalone because Lisbeth Salander's storyline does not get closure.
Final verdict: ✪✪✪✪.5 / 5
Also read: Book Review of 1984 by George Orwell
Have you read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Or have you read the entire Millennium trilogy? What are your views about it? If you haven't read the book or series, would you do so after reading my review or not? Let me know it all in the comments section below. Also, if you like my work, please share it and hit the subscribe button at the top to get notified everytime I publish a new post. Thanks!
Comments
Post a Comment